Coldstream, Vic Australia
A Taste of André
Tasting in March 2015
By Sean Overpeck
When you enjoy a day of wine tasting, it is sad when it comes to an end. Dominique Portet Winery was the last visit on a two day tour of the Yarra Valley. I had just completed an eight month working tour at McMurdo Station in Antarctica and was on my way home back to the United States, when I took a weeks tour to Australia. Four days in Melbourne with two in the Yarra, and the following day would be in Sydney. Melbourne is a wonderful city, full of great history, and even better dining locations such as Vu de Monde and Attica to name a few. As for Dominique Portet, it would be one of the better winery visits of my trip, especially with a taste of the André.
Scroll down to read the main review
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From vineyards home page:
Dominique Portet is a 10th Generation winery in the Yarra Valley, Australia. Dominique Portet’s French lineage dates back to 1720 and the family’s sale of eaux de vie to the Martell family. Several generations later his father André Portet became régisseur (vineyard and winery manager) of Chateau Lafite-Rothschild in Pauillac.
Dominique’s own training began at one of the world’s most illustrious red wine estates. He qualified at the Montpellier University in oenology and during a compulsory year of military service became the legion’s wine purchasing adviser, responsible for the soldiers’ daily wine ration. Further enhancing his qualifications, Dominique spent vintages in the Médoc, the Rhône Valley, Provence and with world Champagne giant,Moët Chandon.
Subsequently, Dominique joined his brother Bernard at Clos du Val in California’s Napa Valley, where he spent three vintages, a period that coincided with his New World search for vineyards to equal his native Bordeaux. That quest ultimately led to the establishment of two distinguished labels – Taltarni in 1976 in the Victorian Pyrenees, and later Clover Hill in northeast Tasmania.
‘I’m at home here, I know my roots are here.’ DOMINIQUE PORTET
Today Dominique Portet and his eponymous label, established in 2000, are firmly planted in the Yarra Valley where Dominique purchased a small vineyard and built a winery and cellar door.
Main review:
11 wine tastings from a range of Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, to red blends and a top reserve, the André. This was also the first winery in the Yarra I went to that uses American oak casks from Virginia and Pennsylvania, instead of French oak. the tasting of the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon is one example of this cask usage.
The tasting room was much smaller than the other wineries visited in the past two days, which was a nice change, giving Portet a bouquet type rating over a commercial style winery like a few others in Yarra. The customer service was top notch, and a very enjoyable experience.
A second group of wines through Domonique Portet was the Ten Men. In 1698 Jean Portet was born in Cognac, France and became a winemaker. From the craftsmanship he learnt in his life, he taught his son, and passed his expertise onto the next in line. Nine circles later these techniques are reproduced each year in the hills of the Yarra Valley. In these bottles you will find the culture, skills and secrets that have passed hand to hand, through all Ten Men.
Below are the review basics followed by pricing and tasting notes to the wines I enjoyed the most from the group. I base my point system not just on the wines tasted, but on the overall experience from customer service, and wether they rate as a boutique or corporate style winery.
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96 - 100
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is Extraordinary
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90 - 95
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is Outstanding
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80 -89
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is Above the Average
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70 - 79
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is Below the Average
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60 - 69
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poor / appalling / “Cac”
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Review basics:
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Wine, Dine, & Play’s Rating
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92 points
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James Halliday |
Brut Rosé 2015, 94 points James Halliday, Top 100 |
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All Accolades |
Place link from vineyard web page here |
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Wines Produced |
Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Rose Vendanges Tardives |
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Grape Blends |
Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, & Shiraz |
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Regulatory |
AGWA: The Australian Grape and Wine Authority |
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Barrel Types |
American Oak and French Oak |
Cases Produced:
Per Year:
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André |
250 |
Other Yarra Valley favorites on Wine, Dine, and Play:
TarraWarra Restaurant, Healesville
Bottle Prices
(excluding taxes)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00
**Currencies chosen reflect the world’s major travelers and restaurant connoisseur’s**
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Wine Selction:
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Currency in the top wine producing countries: |
Price Chart : |
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2015 Fontaine Rosé (750 ml)
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$22.00
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Australian Dollar (AUS)
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$
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$19.00
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$
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£12.00
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£
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€15.00
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European Union (EUR)
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€
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$22.00
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$
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¥107.00
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥
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R252.00
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South African Rand (ZAR)
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R
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$251.00
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Argentine Peso (ARS)
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$$$$
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$11,130.00
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Chilean Peso (CLP)
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$$$$$
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$24.00
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New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
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$
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2014 Sauvignon Blanc (750 ml)
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$28.00
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Australian Dollar (AUS)
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$
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$21.00
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$
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£15.00
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£
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€19.00
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European Union (EUR)
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€
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2012 Cabernet Sauvignon (750 ml)
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$55.00
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Australian Dollar (AUS)
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$$
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$41.00
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$
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£29.00
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£
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€37.00
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European Union (EUR)
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€
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2008 André (750 ml)
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$150.00
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Australian Dollar (AUS)
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$$$
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$111.00
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$$$
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£78.00
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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££
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€101.00
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European Union (EUR)
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€€€
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Bouquet & Palette:
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Wine & Grape:
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Nose (Bouquet):
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Palette Experience:
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2015 Fontaine Rosé
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The blend 50% Merlot, 35% Shiraz and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
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A fresh, elegant wine with a superb red berry fragrance and a delicious dry and savoury finish
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2014 Sauvignon Blanc
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Aromas of stone fruit and citrus
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The creamy, textured palate is vibrant with lime, grapefruit and white peach. It has lovely, lime-citrus drive and enough richness to match with full-flavoured dishes
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2012 Cabernet Sauvignon
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Brimming with bright red fruit, with deep purple hue and lifted violet aromas
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A richly concentrated palate hallmarked by firm finely tailored tannins
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2008 André
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dark berry fruit core, amplified by nuances of cassis and tobacco
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Refined, powerful tannin fame that will ensure expressive and extended aging
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Château or Vineyard Owner:
Ben Portet
Vineyard &Tasting Room address:
870 Maroondah Highway
Coldstream, VIC
Coldstream, VIC
Australia 3770
GPS Coordinates:
-37.686752
145.464327
Contact Information:
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Tasting room:
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(03) 5962 5760 |
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Fax: |
03 5962 4938 |
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Website: |
Dominique Portet |
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Email: |
Contact Winery |
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Social Media: |
Facebook Link |
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Twitter @Portetwines |
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Pinterest |
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Instagram |
Tasting Room Information:
Monday - Sunday: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
AEDT: Australian Eastern Daylight Time (GMT + 11:00)
Review by:
Sean Overpeck (CFE)
The Picture below was taken in
About Sean:
I am based out of St. Petersburg, Florida working in the food service industry for the past twenty years, and am currently with the American Embassy as the Executive Chef in Basra, Iraq. Formally I have worked with groups contracting in Afghanistan, Dubai, and Antarctica, also working in restaurants in and around Atlanta prior to the wars. I have also owned a catering company and served proudly in the United States Army food service program. The idea for the Wine, Dine, and Play Blog started in late 2012 after a trip to Jordan, when I was asked by others to write down the experiences from a few Jordanian restaurants, plus the wine from the region that I tasted, and locations of interest such as Petra, and the culture. Since that time, nearly 200 articles have been written on restaurants, including fifteen from the worlds top 100 lists of San Pellegrino and the Elite Travelers Guide; exotic world locations such as Dubai, Petra, and African Safari’s; food recipes & Grand Food Dictionaries; country cuisines such as Afghan and Peruvian; and of course wine from vineyards in California, Oregon, the Carolina’s, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia.
TTFN
“I like cooking with wine; sometimes I even add it to the food.”
